Childcare assistance

DCO has a range of programs to support the availability of childcare services to Defence families, who might face difficulties in sourcing childcare.

We maintain a network of childcare centres around Australia. Children of newly-posted Defence families can receive priority of access to these centres, where the local community is unable to accommodate them. Defence employees can also choose to salary package childcare costs at these centres.

Families facing difficulties accessing childcare, such as when they move to a new area or change their work or care arrangements, can now access an individual case management service to help them find childcare.

Childcare options

Connecting with your local community is an effective way for Defence families to find other childcare options. There are often playgroups, parents’ groups or other support networks you can tap into in your local area. Call the Defence Family Helpline to access information and resources to assist you to connect with your local community.

We also provide an individual case management (ICM) service for childcare placement to support ADF families when they move to a new area or change their work or care arrangements, such as when a serving member returns from maternity leave.

Specialist early learning staff from Defence childcare service provider, One Tree Community Services , provide support to families who need help to find appropriate childcare. They negotiate with all local registered childcare providers, including family day care and before and after school care, to ensure childcare is tailored to individual family circumstances.

The ICM service provides parents with options that will allow them to decide which childcare service best suits their family. It is available to all ADF families across Australia, and civilian families in some regional locations.

The placement assistance service is free. Normal childcare fees will apply for any options selected by families.

You can also search for different childcare options in your local area on the Child Care Finder website or call the government-run Childcare Access Hotline on 1800 670 305.

Salary packaging

Defence employees can choose to salary package childcare, where you can use your pre-tax dollars to pay for childcare costs at approved childcare centres. This means sacrificing part of your future salary or wages in return for childcare benefits to the same value.

If you choose this option, you will no longer be eligible to receive the Child Care Subsidy or the Additional Child Care. If you salary sacrifice your childcare costs it is likely to be classified as a fringe benefit, which would be reported on your payment summary at the end of the financial year. It may also be used to calculate a range of things including:

It is strongly recommended that you seek independent advice to determine whether salary packaging is financially advantageous for your family.

More information about the Child Care Subsidy, the Additional Child Care Subsidy or a range of other payments you may be entitled to, read A Guide to Australian Government Payments, available from the Department of Human Services website.

You can get more information including a list of centres that offer the salary packaging option to Defence members at Smart Salary website.

Family day care

Under our Partner Employment Assistance Program, eligible partners who run an existing family day care business can apply for reimbursement for re-registration costs (where required under state/territory legislation), if they relocate with their ADF partner to a new posting location.

Defence childcare centres

Defence has childcare and early childhood education centres at 16 locations around Australia, comprising 16 long day care and three out of school hours centres operated by One Tree Community Services .

Priority of access

Defence provides priority of access to Defence childcare centres for ADF families, particularly where the local community is unable to accommodate them or they have been posted to a new location.

The childcare service provider

Defence contracts a licensed childcare service provider to manage and operate Defence childcare centres. The contract periodically undergoes a competitive tender process under Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines to determine the preferred service provider for the centres.

In July 2018, One Tree Community Services successfully won the tender and took over from Mission Australia Early Learning from 1 January 2019.

*Indicates located on Base facilities.

ACT

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

Centre

Address

Building

Russell Hill Early Childhood Centre

R8 Annex, Kelliher Drive Russell Offices, Canberra

1004/RDCCC

Kangaroo Cottage Childcare Centre *

HMAS Creswell 19 Benson Road, Jervis Bay

6020/019

NSW

New South Wales (NSW)

Centre

Address

Building

Little Diggers Childcare Centre *

Holsworthy Barracks MacArthur Drive, Moorebank

0382/K049

Little Eagles Childcare Centre *

Canberra Ave RAAF Base Richmond

0902/230

The Blue House Outside School Hours Care *

RAAF Base Richmond Wood Street, Richmond

0902/D59

Tingira Childcare Centre *

HMAS Albatross Bedford Ave, Nowra

6026/035

Kids Crew Room Outside School Hours Care

HMAS Albatross Bedford Ave, Nowra

6026/036

VIC

Victoria (VIC)

Centre

Address

Building

Cerberus Childcare Centre *

HMAS Cerberus 12-14 Cook Road, Crib Point

0066/A0356

East Sale Childcare Centre *

RAAF Base Heart Ave, East Sale

0937/A0638

Williams Childcare Centre *

RAAF Base Williams 17 Campbell Parade, Laverton

0927/A0017

Puckapunyal Childcare Centre, Includes OSHC *

Lone Pine Cres, Puckapunyal Military Area

0596/A1478

Coventry (Victoria Barracks) Childcare Centre

32 Coventry Rd, Southbank Melbourne

1043/A0019

WA

Western Australia (WA)

Centre

Address

Building

The Sunny Childcare Centre

50 Seaward Ave, Swanbourne

0767/D0005

Flying Start Childcare Centre *

RAAF Base Pearce Brownwell Ave, Bullsbrook

0967/A0900

QLD

Queensland (QLD)

Centre

Address

Building

Enoggera Childcare Centre

2 Taurama St Enoggera

0129/B0050

Coral Sea Childcare Centre

71 Bamford Lane, Kirwan (Townsville)

1493/0001

NT

Northern Territory (NT)

Centre

Address

Building

Little Geckos Childcare Centre *

RAAF Base, Easton Parade, Tindal

0990/B1031

Kids Brigade Childcare Centre

Cnr University Ave & Woodlake Blvd Durack, Palmerston NT

1561/A0001

Defence priority of access guidelines

The following Defence Priority of Access Guidelines were introduced to manage allocation of placement in all Defence childcare centres on and from 14 July 2005. These Guidelines replace all previous Defence Priority of Access Guidelines.

Category

Criteria

Point Allocation Per Category

A

At least one parent is an ADF member

5

B

At least one parent is a Defence APS employee

4

C

At least one parent is Reserve Member not on Continuous Full Time Service

1(see note 1)

D

Mobility. Defence Personnel have undertaken a Defence relocation to a new posting locality

4(see note 2)

E

The child’s parent is: single or unaccompanied, is a dual Defence Personnel family; or, Defence Personnel returning from maternity leave.

1(see note 3)

The point system has been introduced to assist ‘mobile’ Defence families to access Defence employer-sponsored childcare within six months of arriving in a new posting locality. Childcare places will be allocated on the highest point’s basis in accordance with the above table, with placement given to the highest number of points and the earliest ‘date of arrival’.

An exception to the above Priority of Access Guidelines exists for the Russell Hill Early Childhood Centre, Canberra, ACT. Defence agreed that, as part of the Russell re-development, a number of places be reserved for children of Defence Australian Public Service (APS) employees with these Guidelines being applicable to the separate ADF and APS waiting lists.

General definitions and interpretation. The following terms have been defined for the purposes of these guidelines:

Australian Defence Force (ADF) member is defined as a person who is either:

a member of the permanent forces, or

a Reserve member on Service Option (SERVOP) C, or

a member of an overseas Defence Force posted to and filling an ADF position.

Mobility - if placement in a Defence childcare centre is not obtained within six months from date of arrival of the family in location, the 4 ‘mobility’ points are no longer applied.

Unaccompanied status - is afforded to Defence families who are recognised (approved by Defence) as a being unaccompanied for Defence purposes, e.g. unaccompanied on posting, or attached to a deployed force.

Returning from maternity leave - is entitled to an additional one point for a period of six months from the return to duty date.

Defence Personnel - is defined as an ADF member or Defence APS employee.

Date of Arrival - is defined as the date Defence Personnel state as the proposed date of arrival on the application form (if the family has not yet relocated) or the actual date of arrival in the locality (if the family is already in the new location).

Dual Status Family - Points for a dual status family, e.g. an ADF member and a Defence APS employee, cannot be added. The maximum point allocation is either 5 points for an ADF member or 4 points for a Defence APS employee. Other points are cumulative. The maximum number of points allocated to a Waiting List Application, based on family circumstance, is 10 points.

Notes:

Reserve members in Service Categories (SERCAT) 3, 4 or 5 (rendering Reserve Service Days) will be given Category C recognition however, they must vacate their placement within one month should it be required by permanent SERCAT 7 ADF member.

Waiting List Applications seeking Category D or E recognition must include all supporting documentation (posting order/member with dependant (separated) recognition) and clearly advise centre staff of family circumstances (date of arrival in locality/maternity leave return to duty date) to ensure points are correctly

Category E has a maximum of one point regardless of an ADF member or a Defence APS employee’s personal

More information

For more information about Defence childcare centres, contact the all-hours Defence Family Helpline in the first instance. You will be referred to a representative of One Tree Community Services who can answer enquiries about daily operations of the centres, including enrolments.

Any complaints from parents should be directed to the relevant One Tree Community Services centre Director, who will respond as appropriate. One Tree Community Services or DCO will take further action if necessary. The parent complaint and grievance policy is available at each Defence childcare centre.